Stan the Man

Last year, on my move to Anchorage, my beloved Baja broke down in the middle of nowhere, Canada. A stressful situation was made insanely less stressful with the help of a tow truck driver named Stan. I will forever refer to Stan as my Canadian guardian angel.

We have kept in touch over the year and I was elated when he called to tell me he would be making a trip into Anchorage this summer. So we met up for a wonderful steak dinner and afterwards insisted we take a picture together so everyone who's familiar with my breakdown story can finally put a face to the name.

Thanks again for all your help sir. Not only did you make a crazy situation much less stressful, but I got a new friend out of the ordeal too!

Sidewalk Chalk

The hardest part about living so far away from my family is not being around for my nieces and nephews as much as I'd like. Sometimes I feel terribly guilty about choosing to live so far away, but I also know I would be a misery to be around if I moved back to the east coast at this point in my life.

I do my best to stay up on and in their lives as much as I can. Thankfully the little buggars always know how to make Princess Aunt Holly laugh from half the world away.

Rafi

I honestly can't even remember where we were going, but dad & I stopped on the Seward Highway to see some Dall sheep next to the road and happened to see this beluga whale in the water.

Swim so wild and swim so free
The heaven above and the sea below
See the little white whale on the go

Furever Friends

Since my dad retired earlier this year he was able to stay a couple weeks longer than mom. His objective was to use this time to pursue one of his main passions in life - fishing.

Little did he know that his extra time here in Alaska would also be spent cultivating a lasting friendship.

One in a Minion

My friends are one in a minion! Thanks to Cally & my momma for my awesome minion gifts last week and mega shout out to my Seester & Becky for my MINION TIC TACs via mail!! My work lunches will now be carried in style Becky!

Pioneer Peak

A good friend and I joke that we recently switched lives. She went through a divorce and relocated from Anchorage to Missoula, while I married and moved from Missoula to Anchorage. While she's let me sort through the adventure that is Alaska mostly on my own, she will, every once in a while, lay before me a golden Easter egg. When those rare nuggets are presented to me, I'm always sure to run with them.

After mentioning Pioneer Peak at our last visit, I know I had a gem of a hike waiting for me. A string of visitors needed to come and go before I got the opportunity to summit the peak I often stare at on my drives back from the north, but it wasn't far from my thoughts.

Despite the storm that waited for us at the top, I couldn't have asked for a better day. Or more stunning views.

I think my knee pain is finally going to take a priority this winter or I fear next hiking season may be a bust.

/hug